THE mother of a Birmingham soldier killed fighting the Taliban said her son “died doing something he believed in”.

Bridget Hickey spoke after the inquest into the death of Guardsman Daryl Hickey, from Stechford, who was shot while helping provide cover fire to protect his comrades as they attacked an enemy position in Afghanistan.

The 27-year-old, from the 1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards, told his 63-year-old mother he wanted to join the army at 16, believing he could make a difference.

She said: “He was always interested in the military right from the beginning and used to play with toy soldiers. He knew everything, he read every book on military conflicts in each country.

“I knew when he was told he was going to Afghanistan it would be a lot tougher for him. I had this premonition, something was telling me something was going to happen. I didn’t want him to go but he wasn’t going to back down.

“He died doing something he believed in. He believed he could make a difference. I just supported him then and I’m glad I did.”

The inquest, held at Sutton Town Hall yesterday, heard how Guardsman Hickey came under intense fire between clearing compounds.

Keith Buzzard, who was leading Guardsman Hickey’s section, said when they heard this they got flat on the ground. Mr Buzzard has since left the army and struggled to contain his emotions as he recalled the moment his former colleague was hit.

“Guardsman Hickey was to my right,” he said. “There was a small gap in the wall which I managed to squeeze myself into. As I then turned to Guardsman Hickey to tell him to move and jump over me, I saw he’d been struck by a bullet.”

Pathologist Dr Nicholas Hunt said Guardsman Hickey died from a gunshot wound to the chest/abdomen.

Christopher Ball, deputy coroner for Birmingham, said Guardsman Hickey was killed at the scene and “made the ultimate sacrifice”.

He recorded a narrative verdict that Guardsman Hickey was killed “whilst on active service for his country”.